Supervisory mechanism



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

orrnnnns E. BEN-SHAW AND ELLIS o. HEALY, or Eas'r ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS tromiwivran CLOCK COMPANY, Ind, or NEW YORK, N. Y., A con- PORATION or new YORK.

surnnvrsonr MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that we, CHARLES E. REN- 'SHAW and ELLIS C. HEALY, hoth citizens of the United States, both residing at East Orange. county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Supervisory Mechanis'm, of which the following is a full. clear, and exact description.

' Valves for controlling the flow of fluids are in such common ,use that they form a component part of practically every mechanical equipment in general use. Under certain conditions it is essential that they should remain open or remain closed at all times except for making repairs, extensions or torother recognized purposes; and it is a well recognized fact that loss of life and great damage has resulted through oversight or design in permitting valves to remain closed when :their normal position should be open. and vice versa.

The invention which. constitutes the subject matter of this application relates to supervisory mechanism. specifically described in connection with sprinkler sycte'ms. The use of automatic sprinkler systems is coming more and more into vogue, but like all other systems of water distribution the valves at times must necessarily be closed temporarily in order to eiiect repairs, to prevent freezing, and for many other purposes. There has been and is a tendency on the part of workmen to leave one or more of the valves closed therehy putting a part or the whole of the system completely out of; commission with a result of considerable losses in cases of fire.

My invention.therefore has to do with mechanism adapted to be connected to a valve "for controlling" the access to a recording key associated therewith. That is to say when the valve is open, as it normally should be. access may be had to the key, but itthe valve is closed the key is not available. As each one of these valves (or stations) is equipped with a key a time-print may he mace on a record dial of a watchmans clock which indicates the time at which the station was visited. So lone, as these imprints are made at the required intervals, as shown by the record dial. it is sure indication that the valves these :;particular times were opened. But it the imeprint ota certain station were omitted from the record dial it would bean equally sure indication that the key at'that station was inaccessible and therefore the valve was closed. Of course. ifit is a part ofthe vsatcliinans duty to open the valve he could then make the imprint. In any event the device will have served its purpose. 7

Further objects and advantages will apirar from the detailed description below of B 1g. 5 1s a section taken on the line 5--5 0: Figure 4.

Fig. 6 is a vlew similar to Figure 4, with only a portion of the gear casing removed,

and serves not only to illustrate the relationship of the various gears and pinions connected to the valve but also the manner in which they are supported from the valve yoke.

Fin. 7 is a fragmentary view taken on the line Ti' of Figure 6.

Fi e; 8 illustrates the relative positions of the rack 28 and pinion 27 after the former has traveled over the latter as a result of the first few revolutions of the wheel 15.

F 9 shows the pinion locked against rotation by the engagement of flange 31 with the cut-away portion 30 on said pinion hub or shaft. it being understood that the rack 28 has just traveled over pinion 27.

Reterrinoto the drawing in detail the reference numeral 10 designates the water supply of the sprinkler coming from any suitable pipe (not shown). Located inthis supply is a valve 11 providedwith a yoke 12. threaded sleeve 13 rotatably mounted in the yoke, a valve stem 14 screw-threaded to the sleeve, and a manipulating handle 15 fixed to the sleeve 13 and adapted to rotate the same in order to impart-alongitudinal movement to the valve-stem liand the .gate valve (not shown) attached thereto.

' a section taken substantially on Fixed to the sleeve 13 and preferably located between the yoke 12 and wheel 15 is a gear 16 which meshes with a gear 17 provided with a pinion 18. The gear 17 and pinion 18 are fixed to a shaft 1.9 suitably supported from the yoke 12. The pinion 18 .in turn meshes with a gear 20 provided with a shaft 21 rotatably mounted in the bearing 22 of the gear casing 23, the latter being supported from the yoke 12 by means of the arms or brackets 24. The gear casing 23 is provided with a trunnion or hearing 25 for a shaft 26 the inner end of which is provided with a pinion 27 which is adapted to mesh with an internal rack or gear sector 28. The pinion 27 is provided with a laterally projecting hub 29 which has a portion at 30 cut away. The internal rack 28 is adapted to impart a predetermined number of revolutions to the pinion 27 but the construction of the gear 20, rack 28 and pinion 27 is such that after the rack has traveled over the pinion in the movement of the gear in either direction the cut-away portion 30 is adapted to engage with the flange'31 which is located in a plane therewith and lock said pinion from further rotation as will be understood.

7 Upon the outer end of the shaft 26 and fixed to rotate therewith is a bevel gear 32 meshing with a bevel gear 33 mounted in a bearing 84 supported from the journal 25 by means of a suitable bracket 35. The

'bevel'gear 33 is connected to a flexible or '5 and 6.

At 42 is illustrated a receptacle provided with two compartments 4.3 and 44. In compartment 43 there is provided a shaft 415 rotatably journalled therein and actuated by the flexible shaft 47 one end of which is I connected to said gear 33 and the other end of which is connected to the said shaft 45.

Fixed to the shaft is a gear 48. which.

meshes with a pinion 49 located on the shaft 50'of the'key-drum 51. Attached to the periphery of the drum 3? is a key chain 52 to which is secured key 53. The key chain extends downwardly through the perfora-tion 54; in the partition 55 into the key "compartment 44.

The key compartment is provided with a door 56 provided with a catch 57. Located also upon the shaft 45 is a drum 58 provided lock 60, supported by the partition 55, to

engage the catch 57.

with a cam slot 59 adapted to actuate the The operation of the device, assuming that in the normal position of the valve it is open, is as follows: A turning movement of the handle 15 to close the valve results in a rotation of the sleeve 13 and the gear 16. The rotation of the gear 16 imparts a 1'0- tary movement to the gear 17 and this in turn effects a rotation through pinion 18 of gear 20. One revolution of the gear 16, according to the design illustrated, imparts one half revolution to gear 17 and therefore a half revolution to the pinion 18. As the pinion contains eight teeth and the rack 28 contains twelve teeth, it will therefore require three revolutions of gear 16 or one and one-half revolutions of pinion 18 to cause the rack 28 to travel throughout its entire length over pinion 27, and when this is accomplished the key chain will be completely wound up and the key therefore inaccessible. It will of course be understood that if it is desired to impart either more or less movement to the pinion 27 and therefore to the shaft 42, this can be readily accomplished by rearranging the relative sizes of the various gears. The point is that it is important to render the key inaccessible by the first few rotations of the valve wheel 15 so that the key will. be inaccessible irrespective of whether or not the valve 11 is closed or only partially closed. And from the foregoing it will be seen that after the rack 28 has traveled over the pinion 27 not only no further rotation of the pinion 27 can take place, but the same is actually locked against further movement by the flange 31 engaging with the cut away 30 on the hub 29. Furthermore the size of the gear 20 is such that the valve 11 is closed before or about the time that one complete revolution has been imparted to said gear 20. It will there fore be understood not only that the key chain can not be wound up any more but that it cannot be unwound except by the last few rotations of the wheel 15.

Tn the normal position of the parts as illustrated in Fig. 2, the door is unlocked and the watchmanin making his rounds has access to the key in compartment 44:. If the valve 11 is now moved towards its closed position the gear mechan sm is set into operation. the key chain wound up around the drum and the key moved to the position illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 2 and in full lines in Figure 3 and in this position there is not enough slack in the chain to enable the watchman to make a record on the record dial. The door should be closed at all times except when the watchman is making his visit, and if closed, as it should be, it will be locked simultaneously with the winding up of the chain, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple mechanism actuated by the movement of the valve 11 from its normal position to prevent the watchman from making a record while visiting that particular station, providing the valve is not in proper position. In operation the supervisor visits each "valve equipped with -my invention and if the valve is found to be closed or open as the particular system requires, it is'thenpossible tor him to ob- :tai'nthe keyin order to-make aregistration uponhis watchmans'clock, which is indisputable evidence that the valve was at that -t ime and place in normal position. It, howeveryth'e supervisor should be unable to "obtain the key he would then know that the valve is not in its normal position, and he'wouldthus be unable to'etlect the registration until the valve had been restored to normal position. :And if the dial on the 'watchmans clock does not show a registrationcovering all the valves which he is required to supervise it could be readily determined therefrom which valve or valves he had found-motto be in normal position.

As before stated, the construction illustrated anddescribed is merely one of the .preferred embodiments and it is to be understood that I do not limit myself thereto as-itis obvious not only that many changes may be made in point of detail but that other embodimentsmay be resorted to without-departing from the true spirit and scope of my invention as defined 'in the followin g claims.

What Icl'aim is:

1. In a supervisory mechanism, a valve provided with'a rotatable operating means and asliding valve stem operated thereby, in combination with a recording means normally operative for making a record, and means for rendering said recording means inoperative comprising a gear fixed to and rotatable with saidoperating means, gear "mechanism actuated by said gear, and means connecting said'recording means with and actuated by said gear mechanism.

2. In a supervisory mechanism, a valve provided with a rotatable operating means and avalve stem operated thereby. in combination with 'r'nechanism for imparting a movement to a shaft by the initial movement of said valve from its normal posi- -tion,-comprisin-g gear fixed to and rotatable with said operating means, tive'l-yconnected to the aforesaic g provided with "an internal rack, and a pinion oper'atively connected to said rack, and cooperating means on said second gear and pinion for locking the latter against rotation 'afterthe rack has passed over the same.

3. In a supervisory mechanism, a valve .p'rovide'd with a rotatable operating means anda valve stem operated thereby, in comtin-anon with mechanism for imparting a inoveinent'toa shaft or other device by the initial movement of said valve from its normal position, comprising a member fixed to and rotatable with said operating means, mechanism opera tively connected to the said shaft adapted to impart a movement thereto, and means actuated by said member and connected to said mechanism, said last mentioned means including mechanism for actuating said shaft during the initial movement of said valve from its normal position but rendering said shaft inoperative during its continued movement from normal position.

at. In su; )er\'*isory mechanism, a valve provided with a rotatable operating means, and a valve stem adapted to be actuated thereby, in combination with gear mechanism actuated by said means for imparting rotational movement to a shaft by the initial movement of said valve from its normal position, comprising a gear provided with a rack, and m ans actuated by said rack for imparting the (desired movement to said shaft.

5. In a supervisory mechanism, a valve provided with a rotatable operating means, and a valve stem adapted to be actuated thereby, in combination with gear mechanism actuated by said means "for imparting a movement to a shaft or other device by the initial movement of said valve from its seat, comprising a gear provided with a sector thereon, means actuated by said sector for imparting the desired movement to said shaft, and cooperating means on said last mentioned means and on said gear for locking the shaft after the desired movement has been effected.

6. The combination with a valve provided with an operating member and a membe operated thereby, of a normally operative record producing means, and means for rendering said record producing means inoperative when the valve is moved from its normal position, comprising gear mechanism actuated by said operating member and provided with means operatively connected to aid record prt cing means only during the initial closing movement of said valve.

1'. The combination with a valve, of a recording m i is normally operative for making record, means for rendering said reording m ans inop rive, r ans adapted o be located at iable distances in any 'ection irom the second named means to rate the latter when the valve is moved in its normal p tion, and operative connections said second and third between named means.

8. In a supervisor y mechanism, a valve, in

combination with a key receptacle having two compartments, mechanism in one of: said C0111] artments for rendering the key inaccessible when the valve is moved from its normal position. and in the other of which there is located said hey normally accessible to the watchman in making his rounds.

9. It structure as specified in claim 5% in which the second mentioned compartment is provided with a locking member a door and a latch therefor adapted to be engaged by said locking member to lock the door closed when the valve is moved from its normal position.

10. Astructure as specified in claim 8 in which the partition separating the two compartments is provided with a perforation through which the key chain extends from the upper to the lower compartment.

11. A structure as specified in claim 8 in which the partition separating the two compartments is provided with a perforation through which the key chain extends from the upper to the lower compartment and in which the mechanism for rendering the key inaccessible comprises a rotatable drum upon which the key chain is wound in order to draw the key in the other compartment adjacent to the perforation in the partition.

12. In combination, a normally open valve, a manually operable indication-producing means adapted to be located at variable distances in any direction from the valve, and means controlled by movement of said valve toward abnormal position for preventing manual operation of said first named means.

13. In combination, a normally open valve, a recording device adapted to be located at variable distances in any direction from the valve, and means controlled by movement of said valve toward abnormal position for preventing operation of said recording device.

14. In combination, a normally open valve, a watchmans key adapted to be located at variable distances in any direction from the valve, and means controlled by movement of said valve toward abnormal position for rendering said key inaccessible.

15. In combination, a normally open valve, a remotely located container, indication-producing means comprising an element located within said container, and means controlled by movement of said valve toward abnormal .position for preventing access to the interior of said container.

16. In combination, a normally open valve, a remotely located container, indicationproducing means comprising an element located within said container, a closure for said container, and means controlled by movement of said valve toward abnormal position for preventing opening of said closure.

17. In combination, a normally open valve, a manually operable indication-producing means, and means including a flexible shaft for preventing manual operation of said first mentioned means when said valve is in abnormal position.

18. In combination, a valve, a stationary container, a key, a device connected at one ing drum for said key connection located.

within said container, and means for rotating said drum and for locking said closure onmovement of said valve from normal position.

21. In combination, a normally openvalve, a watchmans key, and means including a flexible transmission member terminating at one end adjacent said valve and at its other end adjacent said key and controlled by movement of said valve toward abnormal position for rendering said key inaccessible.

22. In combination, a normall open valve, a manually operable indication-producing means, a flexible element controlled by said valve and terminating at one end adjacent said valve, and means controlled by said flexible element for preventing manual operation of said first named means.

23. In combination, a valve, means manually operable to produce an indication, means for controlling manual operation of said first named means, and means comprising a lost motion device continuously connecting said second named means to a movable part of said Valve.

24. In combinatioma valve, remote means manually operable to produce an indication, a device which when in one position permits manual operation of said means and when in another position prevents manual operation of said means, and means connected to a movable part of said valve for actuating said device on a predetermined movement of said valve part and for locking said device against movement on a further movement of said part.

25. In combination, a valve, means manually operable to produce an indication, means for controlling manual operation of said first mentioned means, a rack element and a gear element one of which is mutilated, and means comprising said elements operatively connecting said second named means and a. movable part of said valve.

26. In combination, a valve, manually operable record-producing means, a toothed element connected to be operated by operation of said valve, a second toothed element cooperating with the first toothed element, one of said toothed elemen s bei g mutilated,

and means controlled by said second toothed element for preventing operation of said record-producing means when said valve is in abnormal condition.

27. In combination, a valve, manually operable record-producing means, means for controlling manual operation of said recordproducing means, speed multiplying connections between a movable part of said valve and said controlling means, and a lost motion device in said connections.

28. A supervisory system as set forth in claim 26, in Which the record-producing means is a Watchmans key.

29. A supervisory system as set forth in claim 27, in which the record-producing means is a Watchmans key.

In testimony whereof We hereunto affix our signatures,

CHARLES E. REYSI IAVV.v ELLIS C. HEALY. 

